Joko Widodo party claims Indonesia election win

Joko Widodo party claims Indonesia election win

The party of popular Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo has claimed victory following Indonesia's hotly-contested presidential election.

No official result has been announced, but a tally announced on TV showed Widodo, also known as Jokowi, won 53.15 percent of the vote.

His rival, former general Prabowo Subianto, won 46.85 percent of the vote.

He says he is withdrawing from the election process, alleging fraud, and has vowed to challenge the result.

Indonesia's election commission is due to announce formal results at 20:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

The chairperson of Widodo's PDI-P party, Megawati Sukarnoputri, claimed victory on behalf of Widodo and his running mate Jusuf Kalla.

"I want to declare that we, the party that supports and puts forward Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla, has won," she told reporters on Tuesday evening.

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Widodo's win represents a break with Indonesia's authoritarian past and old-style politics, which has traditionally been dominated by establishment figures from the political elite and military.

A former furniture-maker who grew up in a small village, Jokowi is seen as a clean politician in touch with the masses. The Jakarta governor has proved to be particularly popular with urban and rural youth.

His rival Subianto is a former general closely associated with the traditional elite. He had the backing of media tycoons.